Folding table



(No Model.)

A. GESEEN 8: J. TYLER.

FOLDING TABLE.

N0. 348,733. Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

I." I. a -2.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED GESFEN AND JOHN TYLER, OF SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,733, dated September 7, 1886.

Application filed March 31, 1886. Serial No. 197,324. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED GEsEEN and JOHN TYLER, citizens of the United States, residing at South Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

Our invention relates to improvements in folding tables especially adapted for paperhangers use; and it consists of the novel con struction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved table of the class named, which shall be very light and simple in its construction and fold very compactly, so that it can be carried with great ease and facility.

A further object of our invention is to pro- 1 vide an improved table which, when it is in its folded position, shall provide compartments or receptacles for the reception of tools,

&c., and to provide an improved brace for the foldable legs, all as will be fully described presently.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of our improved table in its unfolded position. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the table partially folded. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the table folded ready for transportation. Fig. 4. is a detail perspec:

tive view of a part of our improvements.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates our improved folding table having a top, 13, which is made in two longitudinal sections, B, which are hinged together at their inner or adjacent edges, as at b, to adapt them to fold one upon the other. The top B is provided at or near its ends with transverse battens or strips O, which are suitably secured thereto, on the under faces thereof, in any suitable manner, and these transverse battens are each made in two pieces or sections, 0, which are hinged together, as at c, toadapt them to fold with the sections B of the table-top, to which they are secured, and one upon the other.

D represents the supporting-legs of the ta ble, which are arranged in pairs at each end of the table, and each pair of legs are connected together by two transverse or tie bars, D D, the former of which is secured to the upper ends of the legs, and the latter near the lower ends of said legs, as will be very readily seen. Each of thetie-bars is made in two pieces and hinged together, as at (I, so that they can be folded, and the sections of the upper tie-bar, D, are hinged to the sections of the battens C, to permit the legs to be folded flat against the table-top or extended outwardly therefrom to support the table in a vertical position.

E designates a transverse strip or batten, which is secured to the middle of the top B, and the said strip or batten is made in two hinged pieces or sections, the ends of the fold able legs lying against the top on opposite sides of the middle strip when in their folded position. (Shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.)

The battens O E, the legs D,aud the various tie-bars connecting the legs are all of the same or a uniform width, and when the table is folded to the position shown in Fig. 4 the battens, tie-bars, and legs are folded upon each other, and the sections of. the top inolose and conceal the said battens, legs, and tie-bars from view. The transverse battens O E divide the space inclosed between the top sections, B, off into compartments F, and in the these compartments are inclosed the legs D, and they are also adapted to receive the tools of the workman, thus affording convenient means for safely carrying the tools and relieving him of the burden of the usual bag or re ceptacle in which such tools are usually carried. The outer or free edges of the top sections, B, are provided with depending cleats or strips G G, which are adapted to abut together when the tabletop is folded together, and thus provide one of the side and the end inclosing walls of the compartments F to wholly conceal the battens, &c., from view, and to completely conceal the said battens from view and entirely close the compartments F we provide a removable or detachable strip, H, of the proper length and width, so that it lies flush or even with the edges of the top sections, B, and cleats G. \Vhenthe sections of the transverse battens are folded upon each other, the hinges thereof extend slightly beyond the edges of the top sections, B, and to 5 adapt the detachable strip or side wall, H, to

lie squarely against the edges of the top sections and end cleats, G, the said side wall, H, is provided with a longitudinal groove, h, into which the butts of said hinges fit. The end edges of the top sections, or the end cleats, G, of the table-top, is provided with a pivoted hook, j, that engages with a headed pin or stud, j, so that the sections B are held extended when they are unfolded to prevent them from collapsing, and when the table is folded for transportation said pivoted hooks j engage with headed pins, eyes, or staples k of the removable strip H to secure the latter to the table. The foldable legs D are braced in their unfolded positions by folding brace arms or rods I, one of which is provided for each of the legs D. These brace-rods are jointed at their middle, as at i, to adapt them to be rigidly held apart when unfolded, and one end of each of the rods is pivoted to one of the side cleats, G, of the top B, while the other end thereof is pivoted in a bracket or casting,- I, which is providedwith a limiting or stop shoulder, 5, to limit the movement of the rod and relieve the joint 1' of considerable strain, and with lateral flanges 1" for the passage of screws to secure said bracket to the legs near the lower end thereof.

The operation of our invention is as follows: To unfold the table and adapt it for use, the removable strip H is first detached by releasing the pivoted hooks j from engagement therewith, and the table-top sections B are then unfolded laterally, so that they both lie in the same plane, after which the legs D are turned to a Vertical position and unfold the jointed brace-rods l, which serve to very firmly brace the legs and render the table steady and free from the objectionable motion. To fold the table for transportation, the legs D are folded down against the top B, and the jointed bracerods are likewise folded by the movement of the legs, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The top sections, B, are then folded one upon the other, and the bottom sections, the tie-bar sections, and the legs D are also folded one upon the other. As the said battens, legs, and tie-bars are of equal width the top sections are arranged parallel with each other to form an intermediate space to provide the compartments F. The side and end cleats, G G, are folded and abut together, and the removable strip H is secured in place by the hooks j, whereby the battens, legs, &c., are completely concealed from view, and closed compartments are provided for the reception of tools.

Our improved table is light, simple, and strong in its construction, folds very compactly, so that it can be conveniently carried, is eas- 65 ily and readily adjusted or folded, and proception of tools and the like.

vides for the safe transportation of the work- ,edges of the top, so that when the latter is folded the edges of the cleats abut together and entirely inclose the sides and ends of the top and folding legs carried by the top sections and foldable one upon the other, so that they are completely inclosed by the cleats at the edges and form compartments for the re- In this construction one of the sides of the top has to be lifted or elevated bodily to move one of the cleats therein from engagement with the other cleat and permit access to the compartments and the tools therein, which is liable to disarran'ge the tools, 850., whereas in our device the removable panel or strip can be removed easily and access be had to the compartments without disengaging the end cleats, which are securely locked together by the fastenings j.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a folding table, the combination of a top comprising the longitudinal folding sections provided with depending cleats G and G on one of its sides and both end edges, the folding battens secured to the top, the legs hinged to and carried by the battens, and a panel, H, fitted against the open end of the compartments F, formed by folding the top sections and legs upon each other, and detachably secured to the table to permit free access of the compartments without unfolding or elevating one of the top sections, substantially as described.

2. In afolding table, the combination of the top comprising the longitudinal hinged sections B, having the depending cleats G and G, arranged as described, the hinged battens secured to the top sections and folding therewith, the legs hinged to and carried by the battens, the fastening devices j, carried by the cleats to hold the top sections in line when the table is unfolded, and the removable panel H, fitted against the open side of the compartments F, formed by folding the top sections and battens upon each other, and having a longitudinal groove, h, into which the buttends of the hinges are fitted, the panel being secured detachably to the table by the fastening devices j, so that free access to the compartments F can be had without unfolding the table-top, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the top, the foldable ECO legs carried thereby, the bracket I, carried by our own we have hereto aifixed our signatures the legs and having a rigid stop-shoulder, i, in presence of two witnesses.

and the jointed foldable brace pivoted at one end to the top and at its other end within the ALFRED GESEEN' 5 bracket 1, and abutting against the shoulders JOHN TYLER z" of the latter when unfolded, substantially as Witnesses: described. G. A. BLACK, In testimony that we claim the foregoing as JOHN TODHUNTER. 

